Driver who blamed cyclist for crash fined and disqualified

Man who claimed "there are too many bicycle people on the road" caused carnage outside Kingston railway station

by Sarah Barth January 11, 2014

A BMW driver who hit a cyclist and two pedestrians, then lodged his car into a double decker bus, while astride a low wall, has been disqualified from driving for six months.

The driver, Shibob Li, 49, originally blamed the cyclist for causing him to panic and lost control of his vehicle outside Kingston railway station, as we reported last year.

But Li pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court last month.

Li, the manager of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture in Fife Road, drove his BMW out of Fife Road Kingston and attempted to drive the wrong way into Clarence Street, according to the Kingston Guardian.

Paramedics treated two women - one of whom the cyclist - and a man at the scene. One of the women was airlifted to hospital with severe leg injuries. One of the injured was a refugee from war in Syria.

A traffic officer said the driver had hit a cyclist at the pedestrian crossing outside Cappadocia restaurant.

He went on to hit the two pedestrians as his car careered down the street.

Magistrates fined Li £300 on top of his driving ban.

Li said at the time of the incident: “Of course I regret. But it is not just my fault.

“[The cyclist] started shouting and caused my panic. I was panicked and lost control of the car.

“I think people cycling, they need to pay due attention. There are too many bicycle people on the road.

“They do not really watch the other people. Sometimes they just come quickly.”